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Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Student Spotlight: Grace Larson

Now that she has graduated from the University of Illinois, Grace Larson has job plans. They just don't involve an office. Or even a building.

Grace is applying for jobs in wilderness therapy. She has taken her passion for climbing and outdoors adventures and combined that with her solid academic background, work experiences and proven ability to work with a diverse group of people. I know that Grace will excel in these jobs.

Hey Ann!So, some basic info about myself that you might want to
know:The course I took with you was Span332, Spanish and
Entrepreneurship, this Spring 2012. I do not yet know my final grade in the
course- but currently it is an A. I did my CSL work at ECRIMAC- working both in
the office and one-on-one tutoring Maria [name changed] as well.

The job I am applying to is a wilderness therapy program in
Utah (there are 3 I am interested in). ECIRMAC taught me a few valuable lessons
that will help in this program:-Working with people with different backgrounds than
yourself is the most challenging and rewarding group you can work with. At
ECIRMAC I learned to appreciate different cultures, life situations, and life
challenges that I have never had to deal with in my own life. As Maria told me
about her life, I appreciated and sympathized with the struggles of immigrant
life. It felt amazing being able to give her something that could help her
out…especially the gift of easing her communication with the English speaking
world. In Wilderness therapy, I will be working with adolescents who have also
had very different experiences than my own...supporting them in their own
struggles and helping them find some more peace or understanding about the
world around them. ECIRMAC also taught me that not everything always runs
smoothly or perfectly funded, but that with devoted workers and volunteers, an
amazing service can still be provided to the community….I feel this will be
true for wilderness therapy as well.I did not do an honors project. The thing I was most proud
of was working with Maria every week on her English…she started with little to no
English- and by the end of the year she knew some basic grammar, a good amount
of vocabulary- and more than anything, she gained a comfort with listening and
speaking more in English and she also became comfortable with asking questions.
I was so proud of her!

How would you answer the questions I pose to all students requesting a letter of recommendation? If you knew that you were going to be asked those questions later, would you approach your classroom and community work differently? Finally, do you have a hobby or passion that you too could turn into a career path?